Apple cider vinegar and olive oil have both been touted as weight loss cures, but unfortunately, there is no magic vinaigrette. Apple cider vinegar is harmless for most people, and olive oil is even healthy -- but neither will melt fat from your belly or anywhere else. Only a daily calorie deficit can accomplish this. So it's okay to continue enjoying oil and vinegar; just don't expect it to be a miracle fat-melter.
Apple Cider Vinegar
The myth about apple cider vinegar and weight loss has been around for years; however, there's still is no evidence that it works. People who use it claim that it reduces their appetite and melts fat, but there is no reason to believe that the vinegar is responsible factor for eight loss. Not only is apple cider vinegar unlikely to help you lose weight, says Mayo Clinic Nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, but it can also potentially cause harm. The high acidity can irritate your throat, and the vinegar can interact with certain medications. While it's safe to use as an occasional condiment, apple cider vinegar is unlikely to be an effective weight loss aid.
Olive Oil
Olive oil boasts a number of health benefits, but inducing weight loss is not one of them. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fatty acid, which can lower your risk of heart disease and help control your blood sugar, but there is no evidence that it affects stored fat in any way. Some studies have shown that people who ate a Mediterranean-style diet that included olive oil lost weight, but because these diets are usually high in fruits, vegetables and lean protein, it is impossible to attribute the results to the olive oil alone.
Research
Even though olive oil won't trigger weight loss, it is still a healthy dietary addition. A 2002 study in the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders" showed that men who ate olive oil demonstrated higher rates of fat oxidation after meals than men who ate cream, leading researchers to believe that replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat may prevent weight gain. However, a 2008 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that medium-chain triacylglycerols, or MCTs, are associated with a higher rate of fat loss than olive oil. In other words, replacing other fats with olive oil is a smart health move, but olive oil in itself is not a weight-loss trigger.
The Belly Fat Myth
It is impossible to lose fat from just one area of your body. When you deprive your body of the calories it needs, it turns to fat stores for energy -- in other words, eating less and burning more calories is the key to weight loss. Fat cells all over your body contribute triglycerides to meet the energy demand. As fat cells shrink, so does your waistline. The key is the calorie deficit -- a daily 500-calorie deficit leads to a pound-per-week loss, so tracking your intake is crucial. Fat of any kind, including olive oil, has 9 calories per gram, as opposed to the 4 calories per gram in carbs and protein. This means it provides more potential energy, but too much can make your belly bigger instead of smaller.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Body Fat: What Happens to Lost Fat?; Katherine Zeratsky; April 30, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss: Effective?; Katherine Zeratsky; April 22, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Olive Oil: What are the Health Benefits?; Donald Hensrud; March 26, 2011
- "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders"; The Influence of the Type of Dietary Fat on Postprandial Fat Oxidation Rates: Monounsaturated (Olive Oil) vs Saturated Fat (Cream); Piers LS, et al.; June 2002
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Weight Loss Diet That Includes Consumption of Medium-Chain Triacylglycerol Oil Leads to a Greater Rate of Weight and Fat Mass Loss Than Does Olive Oil; Marie-Pierre St-Onge, et al.; March 2008
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